Box or container



Nov. 11, 1930. 1. s; BARNES 1,781,624

I Box'oR QONTAINEB Filed July 14, 1926 ing'shoes or like articles may be permanently c retained on shelves and the articles removed,

Patented Nov. 11,1930

UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE i LELAND s. BARNES, OF c AT'rANooGA, TENNESSEE BOX on consumer;

1 Application filed m 14, ices. Serial m5. 122,433.

Broadly my improvement has reference to boxes or containers for shoesor like articles I designed to be arranged on shelves in stores, but especially the improvement aims topro- 5 Vide a system whereby stacked boxes containfrom any of the boxes for display and sale without interfering with'theiremaining boxes or the artic'les therein. I

' A further object is the provision of boxes 'or the like designed as containers for'shoes or other articles of merchandise which are designed to be'stacked on shelves inv a'store, each of which comprisesan outer case having frictional or impingingxmeans for con tacting with theshelf'ori'case on which it rests so that the said cases will beheld immovablypositioned, each of said cases having slidable therein a tray divided by vparti- I tions into two compartments and having-an outerhinged end provided :with a tab or like element designed to be grasped forsliding the tray outwardly of the case whereby the articles may be removed from or replaced in the tray, there being means for limiting the outward sliding movement of the tray.

A further-object is the provision of the ar rangement of boxes or containerson shelves in 'a manner whereby any of such articles may be conveniently removed or replaced without removing the container therefor, or interfering with the containers for; the remaining articles. v V

To the attainment of the above broadly stated objects and others, which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, the improvement resides in the novel features ofconstruction, combination and operativeassociation of parts,-a

I satisfactory embodimentxof which is"illustrated by the accompanying drawings. I

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement'of my containers on a shelf.

Figure 2 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal sectional view through" one of the containers and thesupporting shelf there-Vi for. a

Figure 3 is a perspective view, with parts or replaced in the tray.

broken away and parts in section, illustrating the lnner container or tray moved out- .wardly throu h the outer'container or case therefor, as w en articles are to be removed V Figure 4: is a detail sectional view to illustrate the hinged connection between the sections constitutingthe inner container or tray.

In the following specification I shall refer "to my improvement as a shoebox or container and a system for nesting such shoe boxes or conta1ners,'but obviously the improvement may be employed for containing Larticles other thanshoes. Inshoe-dispensber 6 shoeof one' particular style would be in the bottom row of boxes while a number (51/ size would bein the row resting on those ]ust mentioned and so on. The stock number, style, size and other necessary 1nformation is stamped on the outer end of the flanged lid or cover of the box. Whenacustomer requires a shoe of a certain size, sa a No. 6 shoe, the'clerk removes the box containing this shoe from the shelf and the boxes containing other shoes above the removed box will drop into the space previously occupied thereby, .thus mixing the stock and causing inconvenience in placing the stock back into position after the customer has been waited on. In addition to this the constant removal and falling of boxes'results in the breakage thereof, thetearing of the lids and other inconveniences, With my system and box or container construction, the nested boxes or containers mayflremain indefinitely when stacked onthe, shelves and the articles may be removed therefrom and replaced therein in an easy and expeditious manner and without injury to either the boxes or to the arit will be noted that each of my improved boxes or containers includes an outer member 1n the nature of a case 1. Each case 1 has its rear end closed, as at 2, and has its bottom provided with depending frictional or impinging elements 3. The elements are a desired feature of the improvement, for the reason that those on the boxes that rest directly on the shelves have impinging engagement with said shelves so that this series of boxes is held properly positioned and immovable on the shelves, while the superimposed boxes have a like impinging engagement between each other. The elements 3 are of substantially U-shaped formation and afford rests as well as tracks for the trays container.

ranged within the boxes.

hereinafter to be described which are ar-.

Ineach case 1 there is slidably received a sections, the inner section constituting a tray which is indicated by the numeral 1, andthe outer section, indicated by the numeral 5, is in the nature of a hollow member that has its inner face open. The tray 4E is divided by a central partition 6 into two compartments,

. and the side walls of each compartment has its outer edge reduced, as at 7, but widened, as at 8, to the juncture of the said side walls with the back 9 of the tray. There is a hinged connection 10 between the sections 4 and of the container. Preferably the hinge is provided by gluing strips of fabric onto the confronting ends ofthe base portions of the sections 4 and 5. The outer edges of the side walls providing the compartments are beveled F and the inner side walls of the hollow end 5 are also beveled, as 11, sothat what is normally the top wall 12 of the end 5, is of a materially less width than the bottom wall 13 thereof. The wall 12 of the hollow end 5 has inscribed thereon suitable indicia 14 relative to the contentsof-the box, and the outer- 3 face of the said end5 is likewise inscribed as indicated by the numeral 15 in'Figure 1 of the drawings. On the outer faceof the hol- 1 low end of each container there is fixed a pull "tab 16. As disclosed by the drawings, the pair of shoes received in the compartments in the tray of the slidable container are re-:

versely arranged. Thisis forthe convenience of both the salesman and the purchaser.

The container is made up of two.

The salesman can readily grasp the heel end of one of the shoes and withdraw the same from its compartment, while the purchaser can observe both the heel and toe portions of the shoes before their removal from the compartments. Should the purchaser decide that the shoes are not desired the clerk can readily rearrange the same in the compartments and close the end 5 and slide the container in the easel. The container cannot be wholly withdrawn-from the case, as there is a flexible element 17 secured to the back 9 same-not only has the data 14L and115 imprinted on the opposite faces'thereof butthe said end provides a compartment that may contain information for the salesman or a pack ing which will prevent injury to thefouter ends of the shoes. As stated,the boxes are designed to remain a fixture on the shelf, and when a purchase 18 1113116 the shoes are removed therefrom :and wrapped and the hollow end of the container orcoveris swung to closed position: and moved :back into the: case and suitable data may be arranged between the tab 16 and the front ofthe' end 5: to inform the clerk thatfthebox is empty. The box, of course, may berefilled with other shoes after the original contents "have been removed, and even were no data attached'to thebox it is onlya comparatively slight task for the salesman to exert a 'pull upon the tab 16 to swing the end 5 to ascertain that the box is empty, in instances where the prompt refilling thereof isnotmade.

' Having describedthe inventiornT claim A drop end 'sh'oebox constructed to display the shoes Without removing the same from the box, said box comprisinganouter case open atone end, a slidabl'e container wholly arranged within the case and including a bottom, rear end walls, opposed side walls and a centrally located partition parallel with the side walls, said sidewalls and partition being materially reduced in length for the ma]or .portion of their length adjacent the ,open end of the case, whereby the major portion of the shoes received by the latter will be presented to view when the box-is open, a

'tray having its innerv endhingedlysecured to the outer end of the slidable container, and

normally arranged vertically within thecase,

andadapted to be swung outwardly therefrom to a'horizontal position, when the container is slid outwardly with relation'tothe case,-and a'flexible element terminally connected with the adjacent rear walls of :the

case and containerxto limit the movement of the container, and maintain the latter wholly Within the case when the tray is swung to its horizontal position, whereupon a portion of the shoes will be projected from the case for display. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LELAND s. BARNES. 

